Thursday, July 31, 2008

Today was a good day. I finally got the pictures off the camera and they are here on the blog!! YEAH!!!

This first picture is a Christmas Candles wall hanging that was a class sample from about 9yearsago. It's a stained glass creation and was lots of fun to do. I have a pattern around here somewhere for a floral one and I would love to do it but I have to find the pattern first...LOL

I hand quilted this one while we were on vacation. I love the cross hatching on it. On the border there are large ornaments and I quilted around those as well but it's hard to see that in the picture. I love the way it turned out too. Now I have to wash it and its all ready for the holidays.

The second quilt I finished is a donation quilt for my friend Cynthia. She is adopting her son from China and I am giving her this quilt to help raise money so she can get him home. It's a queen size quilt and all made from my stash. I didn't have to buy anything but the batting and backing. Unfortunately even though I used a ton of fabric for this quilt you can't tell from my stash. I still have more fabric then I will ever use!! I love how it turned out. My older daughter picked the 2 borders for me because I couldn't decide which one looked better. The binding is a great coral fabric.

What do you think of them? Let me know. I also went to school today and worked in my classroom. We finished adding trim to my bulletin boards in the class. My one daughter got all my phonics papers filed away, while the other daughter worked on the boards and also cutting letters out for them, she also did a bunch of laminating for me and cut everything out. I would never get it all done if it wasn't for them. They are a big help to me.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

I have found some wonderful books. Now this is quilt related.....they are the Elm Creek Novels and I am hooked on them. I have read half of them and they are wonderful. I love the friendships and the idea of the quilt camps in this make believe town in Pennsylvania. I would love to either work there or spend my summers there just quilting away.

There is a web site too.. www.elmcreek.net and I would say go check it out. I have been getting my books from the library and they have all of them except for the last two. I figure by the time I finish reading the next 5 I have sitting here in the studio my library might have the newest one. I wish I could buy them but I just don't have the money right now.

I have also finished the donation quilt for my friend. I am currently searching for a box and then will get it mailed to her. I have taken a picture but I haven't gotten it off my camera yet.

I have also been working in my new classroom. They cleaned our carpets and all the furniture was packed into a corner of the room. My daughters and I went in yesterday and got the furniture all organized and today we went in again and decorated the bulletin board in the hallway and also in the classroom. I also started putting some items away and making it homey. I have tonz of work to do in there but it's coming along nicely. Once the bulletin board is all done I will take a picture and post it here. It's really cute for kindergarten. I am starting to get excited about school starting and working in this new grade with children who are just starting their learning experience.

My email server has been down for two days too so it's been really annoying not being able to talk to my friends. I had internet service but email wasn't working. I still think there is something wrong but I will have to call embarq tomorrow to see what it looks like on their end.

That is all the news for now. I bought some new quilting patterns and I am in the middle of making one of them but I want to work on it more before I share it with you. It's really an easy pattern and a great stashbuster but that is for another post.

So if you are a quilter tell me what you are working on? If you don't quilt tell me what you are doing? Any good books you have read?

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Ok I have spent the day playing in the studio. This is a good thing and a bad thing. I have almost finished a Christmas wall hanging, I just need to make the label and then it will be done. I also quilted a wall hanging for my studio and machine attached the binding and sleeve to it and it's ready for some hand sewing. I also quilted the donation quilt for my friend and added the binding by machine today. I will start the hand work on these three tomorrow night as I watch TV.Once I get these done I will post some pictures here. I think they came out really nice. I also bought a super great pattern today while I was in Joann's ETC and it was from Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day easy pattern. It's called a Tossed Nine Patch and it's so easy to make. I played today and made 4 blocks. I will make more and post a picture in the next day or two. It's a great scrap buster and I was able to use some fabric up but you still can't tell I used anything from my stash. That is because I have way TOO MUCH FABRIC and won't buy any at all. I bought some batting today and backing for the 2 larger quilts I had to finish. For the smaller quilts I am trying to use some of my stash as backing. I could live to be 200 and never use all of this stuff.....I will take some pictures of that too!!!Happy Stitching!!Marie

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

I had the best nights sleep last night.....clean sheets, a/c and a great shower.....life is really good.

After work yesterday I was able to start putting together the donation quilt for my friend who is bringing home her son from China in the fall. I am so happy with the way it's turning out. I will post a picture at the end of the week; I am sure she is dying to see it too. I hope to get it quilted by next week and in the mail to her before school starts. Be sure to watch this spot so I can tell you when you can start bidding on the quilt. All proceeds go to her and her family so they can get Jin Pei home SOON!!!! YEAH!!!

Then I also worked on my Christmas wall hanging. I have part of a border to finish hand quilting and then just quilt around the main design. Then I can put the binding on and the sleeve and another UFO will be done...I am really into finishing things and not starting too many new ones unless I know I can finish them.

Here is a picture of the donation quilt I am sending to my friend Alycia for the Quilt of Valor program. I hope you and she likes it. I am going to get this in the mail tomorrow.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Well we now have the a/c working!!! WOO HOO!!!! It's so much nicer with the a/c working. I actually finished two orders of masks today and that was a wonderful thing. Now I am going to take the night off and work on a quilt that I started about 4 months ago. It's for a friend of mine and I need to get working on it. The blocks are almost done. I am adding the last row on all the blocks and then I need to iron them and can start putting the quilt top together. I will post some pictures as I work on it.Now my poor husband is working on the water pump! It seems that went out while we were gone on vacation so he bought a new pump tonight but I don't think he will have enough daylight to get it put in. Poor guy has been doing nothing but working on this house since we got back from vacation. Before he goes to work he will need another vacation. The dogs are thrilled with the a/c working and so are me and the girls. Tonight I should sleep better. Tomorrow we shower!!!Hugs and thanks for hanging in there with us.I promise pictures tomorrow from our trip. Stay tuned..Marie the cool one!!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Well we have been living in the hot zone.....our air conditioning is still out and its blistering hot here in Florida....I sewed a little today but it was hot....I have track lighting in the studio and sewed today with the lights off.....when they are on they run about 500 watts of lights....a quilter does need to see and I can when the lights are on but today I sewed with them off.Now its about 9pm or so and the lights are still off. It's just too hot to do anything...now we find out that our water pump has been running. We have no idea how long it's been running, could have been the whole two weeks we were gone on vacation. So while not running the a/c for 2 days might have saved us money it's not going to be much of a savings since the pump has been running. Needless to say my hubby isn't in the best of moods and I can't say that I blame him. I wish I had money to replace the a/c and the water system in this house.Please keep us in your prayers. I am very hot and cranky.Trying to think cool thoughts,Marie

Saturday, July 19, 2008

We are home....got in about 11am today......to the a/c not working in the house....we need a new fan for the motor outside....i guess the 5-6 days of straight rain did it in while we were gone....dave is trying to find one otherwise it will be monday before we get anything.....joy of joys...... NOT!!!!

Then we had to buy 2 new tires for my car before we started towing it back to ft myers.....so we did that in NC to the tune of $200......so much for coming home with money.....

We have the windows open and the fans on in every room of the house to get some air to circulate.....can't wait for monday....

The good news is my sewing machine is ready and i am going to try and pick it up tonight on our way to dinner or tomorrow morning...not sure just when...i know i won't be sewing tonight as its too stinking hot in the house....

I am waiting for my neighbor to get home so i can get the mail and start sorting thru it all....what fun...i am sure i will be throwing most of it away for junk mail...

Think cooling thoughts for us as far as the air conditioning goes....not fun to be in Florida in 90+ degree heat with no a/c and very hot doggies and peoples!!

Monday, July 14, 2008

We have been traveling for the last week and visited family in Virginia and Washington D.C. We saw some of the sights at the Smithsonian Museum and also saw the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Sunset Parade featuring the Marines Drum & Bugle Corps, the President's own Marine Band and the Marine's Silent Drill Platoon.

It was great and the only bad part was some of the rain we encountered getting to Virginia. Our first night out we stopped at Brunswick GA and apparently they were getting a tornado and it was windy and rainy all night long. At least we had gotten in the campsite and set up and walked the dogs before it really started to pour. When we got up the next morning we found out that some campers 2 sites over lost their awnings in the wind. I had one of our opened but quickly shut it when I saw the wind pick up.

Right now we are in Maggie Valley NC and the weather is beautiful. No temps higher then the 80's and it's great walking weather for the dogs. They love walking around the dog walk area and I think tonight after dinner we will take them for a long walk around the campground.

We leave this wonderful place on Friday. Right now the girls are with me in the internet cafe in Maggie Valley. It's a great place for ice cream and coffee and free internet. This is a new place in town and I think it will fast become one of my favorite places. I was able to get some internet last night at the campground but it was pretty hit and miss. I was able to send mail which I couldn't do in Virginia, there I was only able to get mail. I am downloading mail now so all is good.

After this we are heading to the new quilt shop to see what they have.

I guess that is all for now. I will try and update again before we leave.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Today I am showing off some of my baby dolls! These are my version of the beanie babies. The fabric can be special ordered for any holiday or occassion. If you are a Gator fan I have several in Gator fabric. I also have teacher fabric for a welcome back to school gift for your favorite teacher. Wholesale orders are also accepted. Just email me.

These are some of my newborn babies. They can be wearing sleepers, dresses or pants (for boys). They weigh about 5-6 pounds and feel just like a newborn baby. If you like what you see please email me!!

I love these babies and they are durable too. Have a great 4th of July!!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Ok I have added my picture to the profile finally. It's a picture from last summer when I graduated from college with my BA in elementary education. I was really happy that day! I finally made my dream come true and now I am a teacher!!

I also added some music for you to listen to. I hope you like it. I have more to add but right now I thought I would see how you like this.

I love Glen Miller and have In The Mood on here because it's my favorite song. Pink Panther is special to me too because it was the theme song for my high school, and the theme from M*A*S*H is here because that is my favorite tv show.

I am also going to be adding some pictures of things I am working on and will go get that done right now.